I'd Rather be Anywhere But Here
by fhjirskv
Summary: Summer camp really sucks, right? Not for these two! They will end up learning more about the other than they ever expected. But not before raising some hell here and there. JC, of course.
1. Let's get this show on the road

**Author's note: This is not my first fic, but it is my first dealing with JN. I may or may not finish this, depending on the amount of reviews I get. The chapters do not have a fixed length, they just end where I want them to. Oh, and they may be a little OOC. That's just because I feel they are older and deserve to be even a little more mature. So don't complain. I think I'm done ranting now.**

**DC (this will apply to all the chapters, because one for each is a pain in the arse): I own Jimmy. He's my bitch, if you will. And he's reading over my shoulder now, nodding his head. So I do own him, just not legally. That's Nickelodeon's job. **

I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here  
By me, Cassi Mo.

Chapter one: Let's get this Show on the Road

_The wind that brought the rain into their faces was warm, providing a stark contrast to the cold water lashing into their bodies. The horizontally flying rain also made visible the vertical tracks of tears flowing down the five friends' faces. At the side of the road a car and a moving van were parked, their occupants restless and impatient. One of the friends moved forward, her blonde hair soaked pencil straight and her eyes puffy, and hugged all of her friends in succession, except for the last one. _

_Cindy looked her almost-lifetime archrival and her secret crush sadly, and uttered two words that were barely audible, carried off into the wind. _

_"Remember me."_

_She didn't even give him time to say a last farewell, for once those words were uttered, she ran off of her former front lawn and into the relative safety of the backseat of her car. And with that, she was gone. _

* * *

"Yes! Last day of school! Summer vacation, look out!" Jimmy Neutron sighed as he walked into Retroville High's bustling hallways. He was greatly excited to finish his junior year at this school and enter the renowned world of seniors.

Although this was the last day of school, there were still exams to finish and graduation to endure. There was definitely a nervous/excited current running among the teenagers scrambling to get to class as the final bell rang for homeroom. Jimmy was not among them. He was, after all, a certified genius. Exams, however hard they may be, were no match for his intellectual capacity, and if he was late, he could use that capacity to talk himself out of any situation he might encounter.

Before long, it was time to go home and not come back for twelve whole weeks. Jimmy's two best friends, Carl and Sheen, piled into Jimmy's modified Audi A8 along with Libby, Sheen's longtime girlfriend. Cindy, Libby's best friend was the only one not present, for she had moved away out of state shortly after the gang's fifth grade year ended. Jimmy inwardly sighed, thinking that the six-year anniversary for her departure was coming up. Cindy was the only female he had ever loved, and when she left he all but killed himself over not telling her how he really felt. And now it was too late. He hadn't even seriously dated anyone else; his love was that strong. Well, _was_. He wasn't sure of his feelings anymore. Maybe life would throw him a wonderful girl soon and he would take it from there.

Amid much laughter and jesting, Jimmy was able to drop everyone off at their respective residences, and then he was free to go home, or wherever he pleased. He chose the former, unfortunately.

Upon his arrival through the front door, his mother, Judy, greeted him with a huge I'm-going-to-kill-you smile pasted on her face. "James, we're not going to let you sit around and watch TV all day. It will make you fat, lazy and stupid."

"Mom, haven't we already established this?" Jimmy interrupted. "Sheen's the one that watches TV and snacks all day. And I don't like it when you call me _James_, even if it is my real name. It doesn't fit my personality."

He would have gone on longer, but Judy put up a hand to halt his ranting. "If you would have let me finish, I would have told you I know you don't do that, but I don't want you to start this summer. I don't want you in your lab all day and night either. That's just not natural. So I've come up with a different idea. You will be working as a robotics counselor and dorm advisor to camp Eyedrath Erbee. It's for eight weeks, and it's an all boys camp. Now before you go whining again, let me tell you that this camp has a sister camp, and it's an all girls camp. So maybe you'll finally be able to get a girl counselor there and stop hanging around the house all the time." Suddenly a small voice piped up from below the two adults.

"But mama, I don't want Jimmy to leave. It will be too lonely without him."

Judy looked down at her four-year-old daughter with love and amusement. "Sorry, Sophie, but he has to go. I won't let him sit around anymore. If he does stay, he has to pay rent and get a job anyways."

Jimmy also looked down at his sister. "Awe, c'mon, Soph. It will be fun without me. No one to boss you around! And maybe, when you're older, you can go to camp too."

Sophie smiled a little at this. "Okay. I guess. Go on, and get out of here, you bum!" Jimmy raised his eyebrows at his mother.

"She must have picked that one up from you."

"Okay. So when do I leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"Wait! I can't go tomorrow! That's graduation. I need to go!"

"Okay, fine. The day after tomorrow."

"Great."

* * *

Meanwhile, Cindy Vortex was getting much of the same treatment, only with angrier words.

"Cynthia Aurora Vortex! You went over your cell minutes by 900 minutes! Do you know how much that's going to cost?" Cindy's mom was yelling at her seventeen-year-old daughter, who just shrugged. "Over $1,050!"

Cindy's mom was in a rage. Cindy had just broken up with her boyfriend of three years, Spencer, who she had caught cheating on her with another guy at school. Now that school was out, all Cindy wanted was to be alone, or with her best friend there, Lexa. The reason for her going over her minutes was simple. Spencer felt like he needed to explain himself, and all that did was waste minutes. Nine hundred minutes, to be exact.

"You should be happy your stepfather is away, on a business trip!" Cindy's mother was still yelling at her. "If he were here—"

"But he's not." Cindy was tired of all this nagging. It got old after a while.

"If he were here," Cindy's mother continued, "He'd have your neck on a silver platter!" She decided yelling wasn't getting through to her daughter, so she tried a different tactic. "However," she continued calmly, "I have something planned that will save us all a lot of trouble. I'm sending you to summer camp. Not as a camper, but as a counselor. You will be the swimming coach at Camp Anee Wherebutt Heer, as well as the Dorm Advisor. All the money you make will go towards paying your phone bill. I have no doubts that it will be paid by the time you come back, as this is for eight weeks, but if it does not cover it, you will get a job here in town upon your return. And you will not have your phone until you get back, either."

_Summer camp?_ Cindy's mind raced. How was this happening! However, her mother still was not finished.

"You leave the day after tomorrow."

"I can't believe I'm actually here," Jimmy grumbled to himself upon his arrival at Eyedrath Erbee. He was to be the Robotics Counselor in a camp for boys for eight weeks, and being DA got him his own cabin.

* * *

"Well, Goddard, I guess this is it," he remarked to his robotic canine. Since he was going to be teaching robotics, it seemed only logical that he bring along his mechanical dog that he built. "Let's go get settled. The boys arrive tomorrow."

"Bart, bart!" Goddard replied, which meant "Let's get this show on the road!"

* * *

"I can't believe I'm actually here!" Cindy complained to herself when she got to Anee Wherebutt Heer. Her jobs were to lifeguard and teach swimming. That wasn't too hard. At least she got her own cabin for being DA. And she didn't have to deal with any of the male species, considering the camp was all-girls.

"I guess I'd better get this show on the road."


	2. You'll Always be Mine, and I Yours

**I meant to say at the end of the last chapter, that I wanted to get at least five reviews for every chapter before I posted a new one, but I lied. It will apply for all the others now, though. So if you want more, you gotta reply more! **

**Anyways, enough ranting. On with the wonderfulness. Oh yes, there may be some "fluff", I guess you call it. Just thought I'd let you know. **

I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here  
by me, Cassi Mo

You'll Always be Mine, and I Yours. 

The first day of camp for the campers for the most part went rather uneventfully, as uneventfully as a first day of camp could go. Jimmy had spent most of his day inside, trying to learn all of his pupils' names. He was now with his last class of the day, the last one before dinner. Jimmy sighed when he thought of dinner, wincing when his stomach audibly growled.

"Jimmy?" The question had come from one of the boys, and held fear and hope in his voice.

"Yeah."

"We know you're distracted, and it's probably from not eating all day. But we don't blame you. None of us really want to do this either, considering how it's so hot in here and the lake looks so placid on our side…" The boy's voice trailed off, a dreamy and dazed look coming over his face.

"Okay. I get it. But if we get in trouble for this, I'm blaming you guys." Jimmy ran a hand through his now shaggy auburn hair.

"Deal!"

"Okay, boys. Meet me at the lake's edge in five. Got it?"

"Got it!" All the boys were attentive now.

Five minutes later, the whole class was at the lake's edge in their swimsuits, their towels draped over a nearby log. Jimmy scanned the group before they stepped in.

"Here's the skinny: I am responsible for you guys, so if we get in some sort of trouble of any kind, you heed my every syllable. Any boy that doesn't do this will go without dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Anyone not comprehend?" No one moved a muscle. "Okay, this is only till the dinner bell. Enjoy yourselves."

They had been in the water, swimming and splashing and dunking like boys do, when Jimmy got an idea. "Hey, campers!"

Everyone stopped moving. No one wanted to miss a meal, however repulsive it may be.

"How about we make this a really good time? First one to the other end of the lake gets all the others' desserts tonight. Including mine. But if I win, you all have to give me your desserts! Sound cool?"

"Yeah!" All the boys replied instantly. All their meals and extra dessert? No one was going to pass this up.

The trek was long and tiresome, and all the boys competed valiantly. Jimmy, of course, arrived first, but as he surfaced on the other side of the lake, he heard voices that made his blood run cold.

"Now, girls, this is how you tread water," a distinctly familiar female voice spoke. It was followed by giggles and whispers that could only belong to those of the other sex. _This can only lead to one thing…_

"Girls! I repeat, girl camp! We've fallen into enemy territory! Fall back, men!" All the other boys had seen the class, and stood stock-still in the waist deep water. At Jimmy's command they sprang to life, swimming away faster than they had when they were racing, Jimmy included.

As they swam away, Cindy, who was the one who had spoken, recognized the desperate cry instantly. "Oh my God, Neutron!"

* * *

For the rest of the day, Jimmy couldn't concentrate on anything except on subject: Cindy Vortex. Even though her voice was huskier, richer, he could have recognized it anywhere. He hadn't seen her in over five years, and quite frankly had never forgotten about her. She really was the only female he ever really loved, aside from those in his family. Sure, he had had dates, but they were never serious, and he told them so. _I can remember the looks in their eyes when I would tell them I liked them, I really did, only to see those looks diminished when I told them I didn't want anything serious; I was saving myself for someone else. _

Now her face flooded his mind over and over, every time he closed his eyes, along with memories of all they had done together. Come to think of it, they had been pretty good friends, aside from the fighting. But all good friends argued, right? If that was the case, then him and Cindy had to have been _really_ good friends. Jimmy smiled at that thought. They had been through so much together as kids, yet time and distance erased much of that from his mind. Now Jimmy wanted nothing more than to find her again, if only to catch up on years lost.

* * *

_"Cindy, can I talk to you for a second?"_

_In his heart Jimmy could not deny the fact that he would not see Cindy Vortex, his almost-romantic interest, for many years to come if ever again. He needed to clear things up with this girl before it was too late. _

_"Alright, Nerdtron, but make it quick. I have things to do," Cindy replied as brusquely as she could muster. _

_"Well, seeing as this may be our last encounter in the natural life, and your, um, last day in the neighborhood, I, ah, was kinda-sorta wondering, if we could call a long-time truce? I don't really want to part on a bad note. And if you ever think of me when you move, I always want to be thought of as _your_ Jimmy, because you will always be thought of as my Cindy."_

_"Oh, stupid. I just fixed my make up. And now you're going to make me ruin it… again. I'm trying to make this…last…time with my friends a good one, and you have to say something sweet. This isn't fair!" Cindy tried to keep herself from breaking down by feigning anger toward her archrival, but it was futile. Jimmy watched as a single tear created a pathway for what would end up being a river flowing down her cheeks_

_Jimmy was stunned. He had never seen Cindy cry before. She had always been so strong, at least in his presence. And now here she was, crying. Something about it prompted an extempore reaction inside him. Without thinking, he stepped closer to the now sobbing Cindy, and tried to wipe the tears away before more ruined his work. After failing, he spoke softly._

_"I guess this is pointless, huh?" Jimmy asked gently with a nervous chuckle. Instead he put his arms around her shaking shoulders and pushed her head into his chest. When she was calmer, he looked at his soaked shirt and said, "I guess we're even now. I ruined your makeup and you ruined my shirt."_

_Hearing this, Cindy laughed through her remaining tears. "No matter how many years pass without us being together, or how many miles will separate us, you will always be my Jimmy."_

_"And you likewise," Jimmy smiled. He then gently took her hand and said, "Isn't this supposed to be a _fiesta_? Let's go make some trouble! …In the best sense, I mean."_

_Cindy chuckled. Knowing everything would be all right, she interlaced her fingers with his and together they returned to their group of friends. _

_The next day, Cindy and her mother moved from Cindy's lifetime home to another place, far from her father, and the only life she had ever known. At the end of that summer, Cindy started sixth grade in a completely new and foreign school.

* * *

_

Meanwhile, Cindy was having the same thoughts across the lake. **Jimmy Neutron**. The name had haunted her for many a night after she had moved away. After all, she had loved him. Having to move away because her parents divorced and she had to go live with her mom broke her heart day after day after day. She had missed everyone so much since she had left.

Eventually her depression turned to anger, and everyone at her new school learned to stay away from her. It wasn't until she went to high school and decided to get involved did she make some friends. Doing cheerleading in the fall and boys' swimming in the winter not only put her in great shape, but it also handed her her best friend, Lexa. Lexa did the sports she did, and shortly into the fall she learned of Cindy's competitive streak, the one that had always brought her nose-to-nose with Jimmy at least twice a day, and the same one that always made her the best in everything she did wherever she was. Yet instead of trying to stifle her streak, Lexa embraced it and brought out a little competitiveness of her own. It was what brought the two together.

As for Cindy's love life, she had always loved Jimmy, even after she moved away, so there wasn't really much room for the drooling boys following her around school. It wasn't until halfway through her freshman year that she realized she would always love Jimmy, it would just grow dormant with time, and she should make room for another. That just happened to be when Spencer came into her life. Cindy sighed at his remembrance. He was another she would always love yet hate at the same time.

_Wasn't that how it was with Jimmy?_

**It may still be like that.**

Cindy jumped at the response. Well, it was more of a feeling, but if she could put it into words, that's what it would say. Cindy sighed again, this time in exasperation. It was a good thing that the dinner bell would ring in ten minutes. Maybe she could then go across the lake and find Jimmy then.

* * *

**Ah, yes. An afternote. Well. I will part on my golden rule. Always review the way you want people to review you. If you don't want bad feedback, don't give it!**


	3. So Much for a Peaceful Meeting

**Okay, I'm back, with another installation! I would have had this up last night, but I had to work, and study for exams. I feel like Jimmy in the first chapter. Summer vacation is almost here! **

**Anyways. I wanted to reply to Darth Vortex's comment. I felt that their school and such needed to be explained for the reader to adequately grasp everything that's going on. But don't worry, it will get better!**

* * *

I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here  
By me, Cassi Mo.

Chapter Three: So much for a Peaceful Meeting

Jimmy sighed as he walked toward the mess hall very slowly. His "encounter" with an old friend drained him of everything. _That race back across the lake didn't help either._

Although the two camps Eyedrath Erbee and Anee Wherebutt Heer were located on opposite sides of the lake, to save money they shared a mess hall, in between the two camps, which meant co-ed meal and free times. For the most part, the boys sat at different tables than the girls, save a few spots where the older ones mingled with the other sex. The mess hall got quite crowded during these times, and loud, so Jimmy made sure to arrive early to get a good seat.

Even though he walked very slowly, Jimmy arrived at the hall earlier than the crowd. There were only a few occupants in the room, so he was in the clear. He got his food and took a round table in the corner, hoping that others would join them (A/N: just to clarify, the campers sit at cafeteria-style tables where the counselors sit at round ones). He was right.

"Are these seats reserved?" A very familiar voice broke through Jimmy's thoughts. He had been staring at his food, thinking about the owner of that voice. Upon hearing it his head snapped up and he shook his head. Cindy smiled and took the seat next to him.

Former enemies and present strangers stared at each other for a minute while taking in all the changes in the other since their last meeting. Jimmy was the first to break the silence. "Wow, Vortex, you look good. Who would've thought?"

Cindy had indeed grown more beautiful. Her hair was straight now, long and blonde, contrasting well with the tan of her skin. Her skin was flawless, and her eyes were still the same emerald orbs Jimmy remembered from so long ago. Upon her nose a small diamond protruded out of her left nostril (read: she has a nose ring, but it's a tasteful one).She was wearing a blue ankle-length skirt that tied at the hip and a white tank top that clearly showed her bathing suit underneath. Jimmy was finding it increasingly hard not to stare at her.

"Obviously not you, _Nerdtron_." Cindy's retort brought Jimmy back down to earth. "It's still safe to call you that, right?"

Jimmy chuckled. "Yeah, I haven't lost it. I'm the robotics counselor at the boys' camp. Goddard is napping in my cabin as we speak."

"Oh my God, you still have Goddard?"

"Well, I wouldn't dream of willingly parting with him. So I would say, yes, I still have Goddard. But since he's so old, I have to give him regular checkups to make sure he's working right. You wouldn't believe the amount of parts I had to replace in this dog. He used to go through power cells like toilet paper, and then a brilliant idea hit me: why not make the cells rechargeable? I then turned to Carl and hugged him for his wonderful contribution. That kid's mind works in wondrous ways."

This small talk continued for a while, Jimmy and Cindy chatting like they had been friends their whole lives and not enemies, until Cindy made a shocking comment.

"God, Jimmy, it's been so long since I've seen you. I've missed so much. Last time I saw you we couldn't look at each other without trying to kill the other one."

"Man, you're right."

* * *

"_For the last time, Vortex, it's not my fault!"_

_Ten-year old Cindy had accused Jimmy of pouring water on her walkway the night before, as pranks were common between them, but previous pranks were simply humiliating, not harmful. Cindy had unsuspectingly stepped out of her door to get the paper that winter morning and slipped and fell on the ice. And since Jimmy was also getting the paper, she supposed he was there to watch. _

"_Why would I want to make an ice skating rink on your front lawn anyways? I know on ice you're about as graceful as an elephant with a concussion." Jimmy indeed knew this;ice skatingwas one thing he could shamelessly beat her at, hands down. _

"_How should I know? There's got to be some sick purpose in that turgid head of yours!" Cindy spat back. "And now you're making jokes about it! That proves you're the culprit. I've had it with you! You're always infuriating me, and I don't like it! I'm going to kill you!" Cindy screamed out the last sentence, leaving her red and exhausted. _

"_Oh, so that's how it's going to be? Okay, I can do that. I'm ready!" Jimmy had now relaxed into his arguing stance, his posture indicating he was bored but his eyes revealing otherwise._

"_I'm going to kill you!" Cindy repeated, enraged at his bored appearance. _

"_Is that all you're going to say?" Jimmy replied calmly. His composure during their arguments only made his neighbor angrier, and that's what he lived for. "I really don't think so, but how do you plan to do this?"_

"_Well, for starters, I know where you sleep." Cindy had also relaxed, and her voice was too calm, laced with a hint of threat, which was worse than the yelling. _

"_I know where _you_ sleep, but that doesn't mean I'm going to kill you. Well, maybe I will now, since you so falsely accused me."_

"_Yeah, well you better sleep with your eyes open!" Cindy hissed, leaving the Neutron front yard to escape from Jimmy and the cold January morning, this time carefully avoiding her frozen-over walkway.

* * *

_

"Do you remember that time you woke up and stepped out your door to fall on a patch of ice on your walkway when we were in fourth grade?"

A slightly uncomfortable silence stole over the old friends after the small talk had worn out, each one now concentrating on their plates. Jimmy had tried to break the silence with a memory of their incessant fights.

"Was that the time I thought it was you and kept telling you I was going to kill you?" Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, I remember that one. God, we fought all the time back then."

"Well, not all the time," Jimmy retorted. "There were times when you showed me you could be nice, which made all your nasty moments so much more frustrating."

"Why frustrating?" They had both discarded their meals after finding them unsuitable to eat and started to walk in the direction of the boys camp.

"Because once you showed me you could be nice, niceness seemed to make you more at ease with yourself than being mean. That led me to the conclusion that being mean was just a mask, yet I wondered why you didn't just out and be nice to me in public."

"You know, I'm pretty glad that you don't use big six-syllable words all the time. I mean, I understood them, but no one else did, and now that you talk relatively normal, youseem relatively normal. Not the show-offy jerkface you used to be." Cindy tried to change the subject not-so-subtly with a mischievous grin.

Jimmy dittoed her expression. "Whoa, don't try to change the subject on me, Vortex. As for that, I realized people listened to me more when I spoke more in words I thought they should be able to comprehend." His grin grew in size when he saw the shock on her face. He knew he had taken her completely by surprise. However, he noted he should never be surprised by Cindy Vortex.

"Just because your vernacular is completely above the heads of the general public does _not_ mean it is above mine." Cindy's shock had faded into mock exasperation, for they had done this a number of times many years before.

"Okay. Now you're purposely trying to get me going on a tangent so I forget what we were talking about before. I know how you think, Cind. Don't try to get around me. You never answered me."

"You never asked me a question."

"Stop playing stupid. Tell me why you were nice to me when it was just us two, and downright nasty to me in public when we were kids."

"It doesn't matter now," Cindy replied vaguely, looking at her shoes. When she looked back up, Jimmy was surprised to see vivid emotion beyond her green eyes. "Look, can't you just be grateful I'm being nice to you now? When the right time comes, you'll finally know why."

Jimmy sighed. "I guess."

By now they had arrived at Jimmy's cabin. "Cute," Cindy replied, smirking. "Looks just like mine. And everyone else's. How do you find it at night?"

"Same way you find yours. Listen, I have to go now, but I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay." Jimmy and Cindy exchanged a friendly hug (**gasp! No way!**) in farewell, before each going their separate ways.

Cindy's "separate way" was very eventful, however. Her first stop was the mess hall, where she picked up some of whatever it was they served for dinner and some silverware. Next, she went to her own cabin, added one of her five containers of Marshmallow Fluff, a can of raspberry-flavored shaving gel and some rubber gloves to her pile and put everything in a backpack. She then set her alarm clock and fell asleep, dreaming of the old days.

* * *

_One o'clock._ It was well past lights out for both camps, counselors included. Except for Cindy. Not only was she allowed out whenever since she was DA and therefore had to check on the cabins from time to time, but she had some other business to attend to. She had just docked a canoe on the lakeshore, Eyedrath Erbee side, and now she was walking from memory toward Jimmy's cabin. She used a flashlight to read the cabin numbers, because she figured if the kids saw the light, they'd assume it was Jimmy. 

Cindy finally approached CO2, Jimmy's cabin, and smiled at the address. _Only Jimmy would pick a cabin with the same number as a molecular formula_.

As she entered the dark cabin, Cindy saw the his living accommodations were pretty much the same as hers, only filled with different things. One thing that was the same, however, was the guitar on a stand in a corner. Almost identical to the one in her corner, too. Creepy. She also noticed Goddard, who perked up from guard mode at the sound of her footsteps, but seeing her in the doorway started his tail wagging. As he opened his mouth to let out a happy yelp, Cindy covered it with her hand. "I gotta do this, boy. And if you utter one syllable to Jimmy about this I won't give you any of the silverware I have here. See?" Cindy held up a spoon for the mechanical canine. "Will you keep quiet about this?" Goddard nodded his head. "Okay, then, have the spoon, and a fork and two knives. You can have more, the longer I keep this up and you keep quiet."

Goddard nodded in acknowledgement and sat down patiently, silently watching Cindy go about her task. In about 20 minutes, she was done, and Jimmy had not even stirred.

Before she left, Cindy patted Goddard on the head and gave him two more spoons. "Not a peep."

Pausing in the doorway to Jimmy's cabin, Cindy turned around and faced the teenage genius' sleeping form. "Good night, my Whippy-Dip head," she whispered before bursting into stifled giggles. She laughed all the way over the lake and back to her cabin and didn't stop until she fell asleep on her bed.

* * *

**And here, I will leave you with the golden rule, of course. I'm habituating it into you. Remember, repetition is the key to learning! Always review how you want to be reviewed. If you don't want bad feedback, don't give it!**


	4. A Rude Awakening

**Well, I know I would have had this up sooner, but since my internet went down, I couldn't get it up last night. You guys are really doing great with the "at least five reviews per chapter" thing. This makes me excited. Anyways, another part for you lovelies to read and enjoy. A short part, I might add. I guess it's short but says a lot. I'm not sure what I want to do with the next chapter. I mean, I have it all written out (yes, I write everything out before I put it up here. I can't afford to lose anything), but I'm not sure if I want to keep it like that. **

**I have had mostly wonderful reviews and I thank all my readers! But onecomment to Zim999: I don't understand. The bottom of a lake isn't very interesting. What purpose would scuba diving serve? Maybe if there was a good reason, I could put it into later chapters. **

**Another thing before I go: I think I'm going to be starting a new fic soon, something less fluffy, and with more drama and other characters and bad dudes and drug busts! Wait, did I say drug busts? I meant action and fight scenes. I get carried away with drug busts. I love watching them. Maybe I'll put up a teaser here. Tell me what you think about that, okay?**

I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here

By me, Cassi Mo.

Chapter Four: A Rude Awakening 

Cindy had just sat down to breakfast in the shared mess hall the next morning and was trying to make her eggs more edible my adding Dave's Insanity (**spankin' stuff. Amazing on eggs. Made me a morning person!**) to her food. After covering her breakfast in the hot sauce, she lifted a bite to her lips, looking up as she did so. What she saw made her drop her fork from her left hand and clatter on the plate, her mouth gaping.

Before her in the doorway stood Jimmy, his whole backside covered in last night's dinner; his feet were underneath an inch of Fluff so everywhere he walked he stuck and left sticky footprints. The Fluff also attracted everything, including bugs, grass and pebbles. But the funniest thing by far was his head. His formerly unruly hair had been re-styled into its old fudge-do, only with white streaks due to the shaving gel and reeked of raspberry. On top of this Jimmy looked around with sleepy eyes and an angry frown upon his face.

Cindy could not contain herself any longer. Realizing her prank had gone perfectly, she burst out into laughing so hard she could not compose herself for many a minute. Once she was calmer, she looked at Jimmy again and started her laughing fit all over again, not watching him get more angry and frustrated by the second. Finally, she stopped laughing enough to be able to look at him and talk at the same time.

Grinning wildly, she looked Jimmy straight in the face and giggled, "Good morning, Whippy-Dip head—I mean, good morning sunshine!"

Jimmy glared at her. "You better be glad the sun's shining. Once it's not, look out! You'll get yours, Vortex. You will get it and get it one hundred fold!"

"Oh, relax. It will all come out in the shower. Tell you what, I'll wash your hair personally in the big sinks behind the hall."

"Whatever."

"Okay, I'll get my stuff and see you there!"

As Cindy walked out of the hall, she heard Jimmy mutter, "I hate mornings."

She quickly grabbed her bottle of Insanity and ran to her cabin. When she arrived, Cindy threw a bottle of fruity-smelling shampoo, one of deep conditioner, and a towel into her bag and hurried off to find her irate friend.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Cindy found Jimmy in one of the industrial-sized sinks behind the mess hall kitchen. He already had the water running and his shirt was off.

"Okay, don't even ask why we're doing this," Cindy said from around the corner of the hall. Her eyes were rolled up and as she talked she made her way to the back of the building. "Because you and I both know you can't… do it… yourself."

By the word _can't_, Cindy was already around the building and was walking toward the sinks. But her sentence trailed off when she saw Jimmy bare-chested, her eyes widening along with her mouth.

Her Jimmy had grown up! _He has to work out to look like that!_ Cindy thought. Indeed, Jimmy had gotten quite toned, enough so that his muscles were slightly enlarged but not enough so for him to look overly jock-y. He also stood a couple of inches taller than her.If Cindy didn't think of him as hot back when they were kids, she certainly did so now.

"Why yes, Miss Vortex, I _do_ work out," Jimmy casually stated, noticing her stare and breaking the growing silence between them. "Now you can't tease me for spending all my time in the lab. Which I do, by the way; I just have a state-of-the-art gym down there now. Along with a tanning booth. Because you know you can't convince a mom that you're getting out with kids your own age if your skin looks whiter than a sheet. And speaking of which, you don't look too shabby yourself. But we can go skinny-dipping later, when the kids are asleep. Now I need my hair cleaned. I have a class in 45 minutes."

"Um, sure, ok…" Cindy was still dazed. Shaking her head slightly, she came back to reality. "I think, to go skinny-dipping, you have to be _skinny_, Dweebtron. That's why it's called skinny-dipping."

Jimmy just grinned as he put his head under the water. As Cindy put her shampoo-lathered hands onto his head and began to try to get the caked shaving gel out, a tickle went down his spine. Unfortunately, not unnoticed by Cindy.

"Water too cold, Jimbo?" She could feel his body stiffen under her. _Uh oh_.

"Don't… ever… call me that… again." Cindy could hear the anger and pain in his voice as he strained to keep himself in control. "And yes, the water is entirely too cold."

"Baby," Cindy stated as she turned the cold faucet clockwise until it wouldn't go any further. The lukewarm water turned searing hot. With shampoo still in his hair, he stood up and faced Cindy.

"What in God's name are you thinking? That wasn't even funny, you little—unh!"

Jimmy dropped to his knees suddenly, pressing his fingers to his closed eyes in an attempt to stop the stinging. Cindy realized what was happening and dropped to her knees as well.

"Jimmy," Cindy gently said, taking his shoulders, "I'm sorry about the water. I'm sorry about the nickname. Whether you forgive me or not is up to you. But I'm the only one who can properly help you get this soap out of your eyes, or you'll have some painful damage later."

With that, Cindy helped her wounded friend up and helped rid him of all shampoo and shaving gel. Conditioner followed shortly after. Everything was done in silence. Jimmy was the first to speak as he toweled his now floppyhair dry.

"Jeez, Dorktex, I'm gonna smell like you all day now."

"Oh my God, did you just use improper English?"

"Yeah…"

Cindy literally leapt for joy. "Yes! The great and indomitable Jimmy Neutron is no longer perfect, and I, Cindy Vortex, am here to witness it! Oh God, I wish I had my webcam! You totally made my day."

"Well, don't get too comfortable," Jimmy remarked as he threw Cindy her now-damp towel and walked away.

* * *

"Goddard, artificial sunscreen."

Jimmy was now in Cindy's cabin. It was well after midnight, and to make sure he would get away with this, he knocked her out with some painless vapor. _I wonder what she's dreaming about_, Jimmy wondered. _Even in sleep she's beautiful_. His smile matched hers for a second, that dopey smile spreading across both their faces as he watched her slumber.

"Ahem." Goddard's artificial voice broke through Jimmy's thoughts. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Goddard, of course was not getting paid for helping Jimmy, but Cindy was not his creator. It was hard being a dog sometimes.

"Oh, yeah." Jimmy took the bottle of sunscreen off of Cindy's bureau and replaced it with an identical bottle filled with a liquid that smelled and looked the same but had an SPF of 1 instead of 20, like the regular one had. Jimmy felt a pang of guilt as he switched the bottles, but then brushed it away, saying to himself, _she had it coming_.

With a final glance at the still-sleeping beauty, Jimmy made his way out her door and eventually into his own cabin.

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**Ah, the pranks continue. Well here I will leave you with my Golden Rule; even though I'm sure you memorized it already. Because it's a good rule; everyone should abide by it. Always review how you want to be reviewed. If you don't want bad feedback, don't give it!**


	5. Mmmm, Barbeque

**Hello, lovelies! I'm sorry I've been so long, I've had work and finals and so much other things to do I just haven't gotten the chance to finish typing this. This chapter is definitely somewhat more serious than the others, but whatever. They also may seem OOC, but hey, I'm the author, if I want them to be OOC then I'll make them that way. They won't stay like that for long though. **

**Anyways. I have a little surprise for you at the end, and I hope it goes over well. I feel kind of perplexed. I want to write in this story, but I don't know where I want it to go. Yet I know where I want the other one to go, but I don't know how to write it adequately. They keep seeming too much unlike themselves, and I don't know how to fix that without ruining the plot. groans whatever. **

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I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here  
By me, Cassi Mo.

Mmmm, Barbeque.

The next day at dinnertime, Jimmy watched Cindy enter the mess hall from his seat, his eyebrows raised. Cindy was beet red all the way down her body, her skin sun-burnt very badly in some places. On her face she wore a very miserable frown. As she gently lowered herself to the seat across from Jimmy, he could almost say he felt bad. _Nah_.

Trying not to smile too widely, Jimmy remarked, "Oh, cute. I hear pink is a great color for blondes. Makes your eyes _pop_." Jimmy accented the last word by flicking open his fists near his own eyes.

Cindy's miserable frown turned to one of fury. "You know, my joke was just slightly humiliating. Yours is physically painful!"

"Hmph. I said your time would come. And I even said when. You made the mistake yourself when you let down your guard for the night."

"Well, you didn't have to be so cruel!"

"Baby."

"Abuser!"

"Wimp!"

"That's it!"

"What?"

With an inhumane cry, Cindy leapt over the table and tackled Jimmy from his seat, knocking them both to the ground. They rolled on the ground, fighting, for about thirty seconds, when Cindy's skin started to feel like it was going to peel off her body. Immediately she jumped up and assumed a fighting stance. Jimmy watched as her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she slumped to the floor in exhaustion and pain.

Wiping his bloody lip with a napkin, Jimmy slowly got up and walked over to her with apprehension. "Cindy? Is this for real? Or am I going to get my feet knocked out from under me?"

When his questions spurred no response, his apprehension quickly turned to full-out concern and worry. Dropping to his knees, he opened her eyes, checked for a heartbeat, and listened to her breathing. _Well, she doesn't need CPR. Too bad._

With one smooth motion, he picked Cindy up bridal-style and walked quickly out of the hall, striding toward his cabin as it was the closer of the two.

Cindy awoke about a half hour later, yawning and rubbing her eyes as if she had just woken from a great nap. _Wait, something's not right here_. She fully opened her eyes to see a different ceiling than the one she woke up to this morning. Sitting bolt upright in bed, she noticed that she wasn't in her cabin at all. _Why am I in Jimmy's bed_? She wondered, becoming increasingly agitated. Just as she stood up, a cool breeze flew through the open windows, and she shivered, hugging herself. _What the_… She was dressed only in her underwear and bra! _I am _so_ going to kill him for this_. Just after she thought that, she heard a floorboard creak. She slowly turned around, seeing Jimmy in the doorway, his jaw slightly slack and his face as red as hers. _Oh God, he's embarrassed! And he should be! But that's kind of mean to let him stand there. I can't let him know I'm embarrassed either_. Quickly wiping her face clean of expression, she put a hand on her hip and cocked her head.

"What? Haven't you ever seen a girl in her underwear before?"

"I… Cindy…" Jimmy did not know how to tell her this without sounding like a pervert. "Well, this doesn't look too good, does it?" He chuckled nervously.

"Chillax, Nerdtron. I'm not mad at you."

"Wait. So you aren't embarrassed being in your underwear in front of me?"

"No; you see more of me in a bathing suit. Everything's covered. Why should I be embarrassed? It's all clean and matching."

"That's a relief." Jimmy sighed inwardly. "I, uh, had to take your clothes off, because, well, the chafing of excess denim and cotton would only make your burn worse. You really shouldn't even be wearing that much. But I didn't want to risk getting killed because you woke up naked and got the wrong idea."

"I'm not sure what to say to you right now. I don't know if I should yell at you because I could be in less pain than I am now, or if I should hug you because you'd rather let me be in pain than disrespect me."

"Um, let's just skip this awkward part of the conversation and get some aloe on you." Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck, shifting his weight, clearly uncomfortable.

"Wait. Aloe? That's it? You don't have any Neutronic De-burning Serum or anything?"

"Hello! Teen genius speaking. Do you think I would carry artificial sunscreen without carrying an adequate remedy for it? This isn't just aloe, honey. It's super-concentrated, modified so it not only heals the burn but prevents any other UVs to do that again, if you forgot your sunscreen again."

"I did _not_ forget my sunscreen, and you know it, Neutron!" Cindy got frustrated that he would even think his last sentence. "If it wasn't for you and your funny little prank, I wouldn't even be here in my underwear, freezing my butt off!"

Jimmy's face turned gentle. "I know, Cind. I'm... sor...sorry that I went overboard. It was thoughtless of me, and if I play any more pranks, I'll be sure to not make them humiliating. Does that suit your needs?"

"No. I need aloe."

"Lay down on the bed, face down." Knowing he wouldn't try anything funny, Cindy obliged, moving slowly as the burning and stinging came anew with each step.

"Herr harr hi ho?"

"Take your face out of your pillow and re-ask your question," Jimmy ordered. He squirted some of his modified aloe vera onto his palm and rubbed them together.

"I said, where are my clothes? Oh, that's cold!" Cindy stiffened as Jimmy's hands touched her shoulders, but she relaxed as he started to work the aloe into her burnt skin.

If you looked straight ahead, that is, with your head to the side, you'd see them on a chair against the wall."

"I see them." Cindy closed her eyes and let her mind wander. "Jimmy?"

"Hm?"

"What was it like after I left?"

Jimmy paused before answering. He didn't want to tell her about how he moped around for two months after school began in their sixth grade year, about how he missed arguing with her and the content feeling he'd get after they fought, knowing she'd always come back for more. He didn't want to say how he stayed up at night, having had nightmares that someone had come back and told him she'd died and he never had the chance to tell her the words he'd been so longing to say since they were trapped together on that island. And yet, he couldn't just lie to her. He sighed.

"Boring," he answered truthfully, "and depressing. It had to have rained for at least two months straight after school started the year you left. Or maybe that was just a cloud over my head. Anyways, it just didn't deem like any fun without anyone to question my intellect. I wasn't used to being the smartest without having to always defend my title. For that reason, I didn't really go to school that much that year, yet no one questioned me. My mom would ask me once in the morning and leave me alone in my lab. Needless to say, it was hard for me, emotionally."

"I had no idea…" Cindy paused; she didn't know how exactly to word herself. "When I started school that year, I was an enigma to most of the kids in school. I easily became the smartest kid at school, but no one could understand my attitude. Instead of gloating over my straight A's I would just shrug and bury myself in a book. Not having to work for what I wanted made me depressed, so I just dove further into my schoolwork, often forgetting to eat and sleep. I figured if I needed to work hard for my grades, I would get better. You know, I did not make one friend all of middle school? No one knew how to handle me. Not even the teachers. It wasn't until I went to high school that I made my first friend.

"Lexa is one of those people that when she finds a cause, she leeches onto it and doesn't let go until she gets the results she wants. I guess she kind of reminds me of you. Anyways, she did cheerleading in the fall and swimming in the winter like me, so we had a few things in common. Besides the sports, we both had amazing competitive streaks. Maybe that's why we meshed so well: we both needed someone adequate to compete with and had to respect each others' skills. Either way, Lexa and I became great friends. This in turn established me on the 'social market', and soon enough, I had a boyfriend."

Jimmy, noticing her pause after her speech, went out on a limb. "I take it you broke up?"

"Two weeks ago. We would have been going out for two years this December."

"If you don't mind, what happened?" Jimmy, sensing she needed to talk, squirted more aloe on his hands and started rubbing it into the backs of her legs.

"I found him in a closet. A janitor's closet. I needed to get paper towels for a spill on the stairs. I wish he had been in there with a stranger. Even my best friend would have been better than this. Jimmy, I found him making out with a boy from my chemistry class! The irony struck me as he stepped out and said, 'This doesn't look too good, does it?' I wished I could have answered him. Instead I walked away without the towels, and didn't stop walking until I got to my bed. In fact, he's the reason I'm here. I went over my cell phone minutes by a lot and I'm here to pay it off."

Jimmy took a minute to absorb all of this and to close his mouth. "That's horrible. I would have never guessed."

Cindy sighed. "Well, things happen. Now I'm going to change the subject. When did your touch get so gentle? I don't remember this from when we were kids during our physical fights."

Jimmy started at this turn of events. "Well, I work with delicate machinery on a daily basis, so I can't get a wire in by jamming it everywhere. And Sophie helped me too."

"Girlfriend?" Cindy couldn't help but feel a little disappointment, but Jimmy just chuckled.

"No. Sophie's my sister. She was born sometime after you left, so she's about four now. She showed me that people are to be treated with gentleness, or they would grow callous. Let's see if you're anything like her." Jimmy gently poked her side, and Cindy twitched. "Yep. All girls are the same in that sense."

And he kept tickling her until she rolled over onto her back, and scolded, "James Isaac. Look at this. You just spent all that time trying to heal my skin, and I just rubbed off all the aloe because you tickled me. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"

Jimmy grinned. "I have to say,you're screwed. Because I have to go. Put some more on when you go to bed, and you should be better tomorrow. I'll see you at breakfast." Waving, Jimmy gently pushed the now-clothed Cindy out the door.

Also waving, Cindy smiled inwardly and thought wickedly, _Now the fun begins_.

* * *

**Well, I also promised a sneak peek at my next fic, and I'm a lovely woman of my word. **

_A figure sat in the sumptuous office, occupying the only chair in the room. To her back was a window that took up one wall, showing off her lavish kingdom down below. Abruptly, the figure turned from her cluttered desk to face this window in anger and frustration. _

"_I don't get it! Why is my mind suddenly blank when I set out to destroy him? I can't just go and capture him, he's protected his stupid inventions and that crazy dog. I can't send a hit man to out and kill him, there's too much risk of it being traced back to me, and I can't afford to land in the slammer again." The voice had grown calmer as its owner thought out loud, becoming more and more pondering as she went on. "I couldn't—"_

"_Ma'am!" A minion clad in white armor burst into the office. "They're leaving! They're going now, and you didn't tell them what you wanted for lunch! Quick, tell me now, and I can catch up to them before it's too late!"_

_The figure looked at the out of breath guard with boredom and annoyance. "TK-421, why aren't you at your post? And how many times do I have to tell you to call me something more authority-inducing, like Your Excellence, or Potentate?"_

_TK-421 cocked his head in confusion. "But… Th-The meal," he stuttered, but the figure cut him off. _

"_I'm not hungry. I've got a lot of things to do this afternoon, and eating doesn't exactly crack my top ten. Now go back to your post before I kidnap you and lock you in the S-Wing."_

"_Yes, ma'—I mean, Potentate." TK-421 saluted and left quickly. He couldn't think of any punishment worse than the S-Wing, except… the T-Wing. He had never been there before, but rumor had it no one came out of there alive. _

_Meanwhile, the figure in her office was struck with a brilliant idea, as if a light bulb was suddenly switched on above her head. _

"_Kid…Kidnap… that's it!" The figure snapped her fingers. "If I can't get to him, I'll get him to me! If I take the person closest to him, I can lure him here, and destroy him on my own turf. The death of Jimmy Neutron will make me the most renowned, feared and revered villain in the universe! Jimmy will finally see what revenge tastes like from the other end!"_

_The figure then pushed a button on her desk and TK-421 reappeared on her doorway. "Get two other men and prep the T-Wing for me." At the guard's shudder, she sighed in exasperation. "It's not for you, dipstick. But make sure the sheets are clean, and the floor and walls are cleaned of any old blood. We're going to have a very special guest there soon."_

**Now I will leave you with my golden rule. Because everyone likes nice reviews, don't they? Review like you want to be reviewed. If you don't want bad feedback, don't give it!**


	6. Star Wars and Surprises

**w00t! The next installment! giggles I love it when people call chapters _chappies_ and _installments_. It just cracks me up. Anywho, I got around FFNet's bitchiness, and since I'm all backed up, I've got a fairly long chapter in store!**

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I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here  
By me, Cassi Mo.

Chapter 6: Star Wars and Surprises

The next day passed quickly, with Jimmy and Cindy spending much time together every time they had a chance. Cindy learned of Sheen and Libby's relationship (somehow Libby managed to forget to mention that in all of her emails), and Jimmy learned so much about Lexa he wished Cindy had made more friends in her town. Generally the day went very well, without one argument.

What Jimmy didn't know, however, was the reason for Cindy's agreeability. All day long she agreed with everything he said only because she was too distracted to disagree. She was busy planning her next prank, better thought-out, and now that she knew how sound of a sleeper Jimmy was, she knew her practical jokes could be more intricate and creative.

Finally, the hour after lights-out passed, and Cindy deemed it safe to go out, and make the trek to Jimmy's cabin. What she didn't know was that she was in for a huge surprise.

Twenty or so feet away from her destination, Cindy sensed something was wrong. Five feet closer and she realized her hypothesis had been right.

At one-thirty in the morning, one's cabin should be dark, not lighted, and if it's lighted, the light should be a white light clearly emanating from one source. What came out of Jimmy's cabin was a greenish glow that filled the room and oozed out the open windows with no source visible.

Cindy warily walked up to the door of the cabin, expecting intruders other than her. With Jimmy around, it was a safe bet to expect everything. But nothing prepared Cindy for what she was about to see.

There were no intruders, save her; the glow was coming from Jimmy! He was sitting upright in bed, glowing in the dark. Cindy had to grab the side of the doorway to keep from falling over.

"Jimmy?" Cindy whispered. "Why are you up at this hour?"

Jimmy smiled, clearly visible in the green glow. "Oh, sure just leave the elephant in the room unasked for. Well, I'm up because I'm a genius, and everyone knows geniuses only get caught off-guard once. That's what makes us geniuses. Of course, you wouldn't know about that, because you let your guard down in the middle of a prank war. Anyways, I was expecting you. Come on in, Goddard will get the door behind you. Goddard, the door, please."

Goddard appeared behind her with an apologetic look that to Cindy looked more like longing for more silverware, and shut the door as she stepped inside. "What's going on?" Cindy asked. "How are you glowing?"

Jimmy smiled and patted the foot of his bed. Once Cindy seemed comfortable, he began. "Did you ever read anything in the newspaper or a magazine about how scientists figured out that it was possible to separate and isolate the gene in fireflies that allows them to glow?" Cindy nodded. (a/n: This is true; I read it in a magazine.) "Well, they made a few mistakes, but legal ones, to keep people from getting the wrong idea. The 'scientists' was actually a singular scientist, me. I tried it out first on my mom's rosebush, and the plant glowed in the dark. So I tried it out on myself. I was… twelve? Anyways, it worked, and like a firefly, I can control my glow and everything."

Instantly the cabin became pitch black and when Cindy gasped, Jimmy re-lit himself and chuckled.

"Well, my flabber's just been completely gasted," Cindy commented. "Why did you do this? I don't see the gain."

"I'm afraid of the dark," Jimmy said simply. "I have been since I was ten. About the same time I lost the ability to whistle. Come to think of it, I started to rapturously enjoy mustard at about that time too," he said thoughtfully. He noticed Cindy looking at him strangely. "What's that look for?"

Cindy was eyeing him curiously. "Well, when I was ten, I woke up one morning knowing how to whistle, and mustard… lost its appeal…" Cindy's voice trailed off, and her eyes went wide, mirroring Jimmy's exactly.

"The brain swap!" they cried simultaneously.

"Great going, Nerdtron," Cindy said sarcastically. "I thought we were supposed to pick the most trustworthy people we know to fix our minds. Leave it to you to pick the Ultra-Dorks to fix my mind. That's the last time I'll ever trust them with anything of mine."

"Hey!" Jimmy shot back. "Libby was also involved, was she not?"

Cindy didn't reply, she just got up and strode over to an open window, her back to Jimmy.

He sighed. "I don't think it will alter our lives in any way. Well, any harmful way, anyways. Think of it this way: wherever we go now, we'll always have a part of the other with us."

Cindy turned back to Jimmy and smiled. "You know, that would actually be comforting if it wasn't so true." She shivered. "God, do you have to keep your windows open all night? It's freezing in here."

Jimmy pulled the top blanket off of his bed and held it out to her. Cindy could see at least two more blankets underneath, so she took the proffered covering and resumed her place at the end of Jimmy's bed. "I feel like a dog, sitting at the foot of your bed."

"I could say something mean here, but I will wisely keep my mouth shut," Jimmy replied with a smirk. "I could move over if you want. Would that make you feel more equal to me?"

In reply, Cindy stood up and waited for him to move. He scooted to one side of the twin-size bed and pulled back the covers, revealing to Cindy him dressed only in boxers. _No wonder he has so many blankets_, Cindy thought.

"What's with guys and blue plaid boxers?" Cindy asked after she was settled in. "Like, every guy I know has at least five pairs of them."

Jimmy turned and looked at her. "What's with girls and looking at them?" (That was an actual conversation between me and a friend. It was very amusing.)

"_Touché_," Cindy replied. All of a sudden, her ankle started to itch, the one closest to the edge of the bed. As she leaned to the side, trying to scratch the itch without disturbing Jimmy, she leaned too far over and fell off the side of the bed with a startled cry.

Jimmy leaned over the edge of the bed, laughing visibly. Cindy pouted. "You should ask them for a queen-size bed."

"Only if you were going to make this a habit. Come on, let's try this again."

As Cindy settled under the covers again, she felt Jimmy's arm slide around her shoulders. "Just so you don't fall again," he said when she looked at him. She laid her arm across his chest. "Just so you don't get any ideas," she replied with a giggle. "I'm not really tired. Do you have any movies?"

"Do I!" Jimmy exclaimed. "Goddard, come here and give me your movie remote, and go into movie mode. I decided it gets boring when you're grounded and your mother won't let you have a TV in your room. So I got prepared. I downloaded over 200 movies into Goddard and outfitted him with a 'big-screen' hologram projector. This makes the movies being viewed more life-like and fun to watch."

Cindy had been browsing through Goddard's movie library, and stopped at one. "Here, I want to watch this one."

Jimmy looked at the holographic "screen" and saw that she had picked out _The Empire Strikes Back_. He looked at her skeptically. "You're a _Star Wars_ fan?"

"Well, I'm more of a George Lucas fan," She replied. "_Indiana Jones_, _Star Wars_, and _THX 1138_ are on my top movies list."

Jimmy shrugged and started the movie. It went on in silence, until they got to the scene where the _Millennium Falcon_ had to stop in an asteroid for repairs.Jimmy watched the scene unfold, absolutely immersed in the dialogue between the Princess Leia and the space rogue Han Solo. Jimmy loved _Star Wars_; science fiction was what he lived for. When the two characters' kissing was interrupted by C-3PO, Jimmy chuckled.  
"Do you remember all the times you and I almost kissed but got interrupted?" He asked Cindy, but got no reply.

He looked down, and saw that she was sound asleep, using his bare chest as an armrest and pillow. He smiled tenderly and told Goddard to shut off the movie and go into sleep mode before kissing Cindy's forehead and trying to fall asleep.

When the cabin was quieter, he heard a small snoring from the sleeping form on him, but it wasn't an obnoxious snore, just an I'm-not-perfect snore. It was almost cute, Jimmy thought. He fell into slumber soon after Cindy, having been lulled to sleep by her soft snoring.

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The next morning, Cindy awoke to find herself in Jimmy's bed, fully clothed and partially sprawled out on his bare chest. His arm was still curled protectively around her shoulders. She tried to shift herself to get more comfortable without waking Jimmy, but she failed.

Jimmy woke up at the first sign of her movement, if slowly at first. As she looked up at him he opened one eye and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Good morning, Sunshine."

Cindy giggled softly and snuggled closer to him, sighing. Two seconds later she pulled away, and sat up, alarmed. "What is it?" Jimmy yawned.

"What time is it? I need to get back!" Cindy exclaimed. "I'm going to be so dead for spending the night here."

"Chillax, Cind, its only 6:32. The breakfast bell, my alarm,doesn't even ring until seven, and after you eat, you'll still have almost forty-five minutes to get ready. And don't worry about getting in trouble. I wasn't about to let you go back that late at night, no matter how many times you've done it before. Besides, no one cares about the counselors. The dorm advisor won't mind."

"Why won't he mind?"

"Because he spent last night watching _The Empire Strikes Back_ with an amazing girl he has known for many years. If he were to get upset, I could just use that on him, and we're in the clear."

Cindy tried to process this through her foggy mind, and made a realization. "You're the DA!"

"Good one, Captain Obvious." Jimmy smiled sleepily.

Cindy sighed again and fell back on the bed, but she was up again soon enough.

"Uh, Cindy, can you get up for a sec?" Jimmy asked after she had lain back down. She conceded, and he looked at his arm, the one that had been around her shoulders and consequently under her the whole night, now motionless. "Did you gain some weight? I can't feel my arm at all.

Cindy looked concerned for a moment and started to laugh when Jimmy waggled his fingers and said, "Gotcha!"

She laid back down and they fell back asleep until the distant sound of the breakfast bell woke them both. Cindy started to get up, but Jimmy laid a hand on her shoulder. "Stay here."

"But I want to eat," she complained.

"You really want to eat what they serve?" Jimmy asked suspiciously. "I don't even think that stuff's made out of anything edible. Fortunately, I came prepared." He turned and pulled out from his bureau a box of Lucky Charms, two spoons and two bowls, and frowned when Cindy didn't automatically light up with happiness. "Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly. "I thought Lucky Charms was your favorite."

"It's really thoughtful," Cindy reassured him, "and I'm truly grateful. But where is the milk? Not everyone eats their cereal dry."

"That's all you were worried about?" Jimmy grinned. "Don't worry. I came prepared for anything." He bent over and retrieved a carton of milk from a mini-fridge concealed underneath his bed.

After they had eaten their cereal on Jimmy's bed, Cindy stood. "Well, I better go. I still need to shower."

Jimmy looked at her. "Shower? You're going to be in a lake all day. What's the point?"

"Hel-lo, I still need to shave."

"Your face looks fine to me. No wait, I see a little shadow there," Jimmy said, pointing at her cheek. "Yeah, I guess you're right. A shower is in order."

Cindy swatted his hand away. "No, 'tard. My legs."

"Ew," Jimmy replied, screwing his face up. "Go shave. There's nothing worse than a girl with gorilla legs."

"I do _not_ have gorilla legs"

"Just go. Leave me to shave your gorilla legs. I understand."

"Fine," Cindy huffed, walking out, "but don't expect food whenever you show up at my door."

Jimmy chuckled as Cindy left and started to get ready for the day. He had made his bed, put clothes suitable to teach in, and was in his bathroom combing his hair when Goddard started to ring from the main room. "Put it on speaker phone." _Who could possibly be calling me now? _He wondered.

"Jimmy, I've made an amazing discovery!" Cindy whispered through her cell phone.

"Cind, I think cell phones are allowed here. There's no need to whisper."

"Yeah there is. Just get to my cabin, _pronto_. And don't go in. I'll meet you outside the front." She hung up, leaving Jimmy with his mind racing. She just saw him ten minutes ago! Why would she need to see him again? Was she in trouble?

Jimmy shrugged off his mental questions as he slipped into some flip-flops and went to go meet Cindy outside her cabin.

Ten minutes later, he found her outside her cabin, just like she said she would be. "I don't get this—" Jimmy started, but Cindy threw her hand over his mouth.

"Shh!" she whispered. "I don't know how to tell you what's in there. I don't even know how they got there, or how soundly they sleep."

"What—" he started again, but Cindy just pushed him toward her cabin. Jimmy silently looked in the doorway, finding nothing unusual, until his eyes landed on the bed. He started, expecting some feral creatures to be occupying her room, but what he saw made him nauseous.

Libby and Sheen were sleeping in Cindy's bed, their clothes in a pile on the floor.

* * *

**Okay, I know it's kind of... well, really fluffy, and they seem OOC, but I thought it was cute. Much of my stuff is inspired by real life. For example, the blue boxers thing was a real conversation between me and a friend. Aaaand, I have two friends who remind me a lot of J/C in the fact that they like each other A LOT, but are in total denial and fight all the time. Needless to say, I feel like Libby much of the time. **

**Speaking of Libby, I didn't even know that was coming. I love cliffhangers. It's like, the best advantage the author has over the readers. Anyways, I have more coming, so stay tuned! **

**Always review how you want to be reviewed. If you don't want bad feedback, don't give it!**


	7. You can eat, if you're hungry enough

**Well, I would have had this up sooner, but there was a Jimmy-thon on Nick today, and I was all caught up making my hard copy on my new old typewriter! I've wanted one of these for my whole life, almsost. God, I'm so excited. Anyways, I'm not sure what I think of this chapter. Sheen is a hard one to capture, and if I messed him up, let me know. Onwards!**

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I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here  
By me, Cassi Mo.

Chapter 7: You can eat, if you're hungry enough.

Jimmy stared at the two lovers in shock, completely unable to absorb what he was seeing. Suddenly there was movement in Cindy's bed, causing Jimmy to turn away in agony. Fortunately, it was just them waking up. Jimmy sighed, relieved,when he was Sheen's head poke up from the mass of blankets.

"Is it breakfast time already?" he asked sleepily.

"No," Jimmy replied sweetly, "but it is trouble-time for you two. Lucky you, you get to answer to the dominatrix of this establishment."

Just then Cindy walked in, her jaw going lax upon taking in the scene. Suddenly her shocked look turned to one of ire. "I spend one night away from my cabin and _this_ is what I have to return to?" she shouted.

Libby, who had also woken up when Cindy started to shout, sat up, revealing her still wearing a bra. Suddenly, she started to laugh. "You think me and Sheen… last night? …without telling you? You guys must be up to something if that's what you really think we were doing."

"Well, what else were we supposed to think?" Jimmy demanded. "We come in, see you two entangled in the blankets of Cindy's bed, with your clothes on the fricking floor!"

"Chillax, Jimmy," Sheen reassured him, "no need to get your panties in a bunch. So you saw our clothes on the floor. Did you see any underwear? We just took off our pants and shirts since it was so hot and we didn't have spares to get all sweaty." (**heh, heh. I love false alarm 'hangers.**)

"Yeah, we wouldn't do that in your bed," Libby contributed, "although it _was_ pretty tempting."

"Okay, I'll believe you, as long as you promise never to speak like that in my presence again," Cindy said. She then looked questioningly at Libby and Sheen. "Why _are_ you here, anyways?"

"Well," Libby said, "It's a long story."

* * *

"So tell me why we're here again?" Sheen asked Libby as she parked her car outside of Camp Anee Wherebutt Heer, thinking it was Eyedrath Erbee. 

Libby sighed exasperatedly. This was the tenth time that Sheen had asked this in the past half hour, and tie took at least three minutes to explain her reasoning.

"We are here," she started with menacing calmness, "to find out what Jimmy's take on Carl is. I think he's gay. You don't. We need another opinion. And Jimmy would be able to tell us the most accurately."

"Oh," Sheen replied. "So why are we here again?"

Libby just ignored him and continued on through the all-girls camp. Not noticing any boys around, she stopped one camper that looked about eleven, and asked her where she could find Jimmy.

"Probably somewhere in the woods, making out with Cindy," The girl said jealously. Other girls around them sighed dreamily at the sound of Jimmy's name.

Libby raised her eyebrows at Sheen, who just shrugged in return. "Who is this Cindy?" She asked sweetly, handing the girl a piece ofbubble gum.

The girl took the gum greedily and replied, "Cindy Vortex. She's our swimming teacher. Why do you care so much?" She asked suspiciously.

"Well," Libby said, an idea forming in her head, "You see, Jimmy and I are under-the-bed lovers. That means I hide him under the bed when my boyfriend comes over." At the strange looks she was getting from both Sheen and the campers, she smiled.

"Just kidding, honey. Him and I are friends, and my boyfriend and I are here to ask him a question that can't exactly be asked over the phone. I'm not in the mood to look through the woods, so could you just tell me where Cindy's cabin is? I'm sure they spend a lot of time there."

The camper took another offered piece of gum and grinned. "Oh, they do. I'll lead you there, 'cause it's kind of hard to find on your own if you don't know the layout."

"Hook, line and sinker," Libby whispered to Sheen as they followed the young girl. "This was almost too easy. And Cindy too? None of us have seen her for years! Who would have thought Jimmy Neutron and Cindy Vortex,"—her tone grew dramatic—"star-crossed lovers almost as locally famed as Romeo and Juliet, sworn enemies, separated for years, would have been working at the same camp for the summer?"

"Not me," Sheen muttered. He really didn't want to be here; Ultra Lord was on in ten minutes. "If I miss an amazing episode of Ultra Lord that by some amazing miracle was on tonight and I didn't know about, you are going to have to make it up to me."

Libby smiled and kissed his cheek. She knew all too well about Sheen's love for Ultra Lord, even at the age of eighteen. He was too far into it to grow out now. "Okay, fine. You win. What do you want in return for missing an episode that you don't already have taped?"

Sheen grinned mischievously. "Well, I was thinking that I could show up at your house later, you know, after your parents are asleep, and we could—"

"No way. Not till we're legal, remember? And just because you're legal doesn't mean I am."

"Oh, then we must have broken that a long time ago, because you almost always watch the Ultra Lord reruns late at night with me."

"Oh… well… you said…" Libby stumbled over her words uselessly.

"I didn't say anything," Sheen retorted, "'Cause you interrupted me before I could get to my point! You really have a sick mind, you know that? And I'm the one that gets blamed for these things every day."

"Okay, here we are!" The camper's bright voice brought Libby and Sheen out of their disagreement to view a cabin not unlike all the other ones surrounding it.

"How do you know this is hers?" Libby asked the girl suspiciously.

"Oh, we spy on it all the time," the girl responded with a rather large smile.

"That's not a good idea," Libby warned. "You might see something you regret. Especially when it's Jimmy and Cindy," she murmured to Sheen.

"Yeah," Sheen piped in, "don't all you girls think Jimmy is hot or 'bangin'' or whatever you call good-looking guys? If you saw him with another girl than any of you, you'd be heartbroken. Better to leave things to the imagination."

"I guess you're right," the girl conceded. "I'm too young for love anyways."

Libby gazed at Sheen. "You'd be surprised at how young you can find love. We've been together since I was ten, and he's eighteen now."

"Yeah, but don't get any ideas," Sheen said. "It will land you in nothing but trouble."

"Okay, I should be on my way," the girl said suddenly, causing Sheen and Libby to look at each other skeptically. "This has been a great bathroom break. Lunch starts in ten minutes, so if you want to follow me back, I'll snag you some grub, if you're hungry enough."

"Uh, no thanks," Libby replied quickly before Sheen could say anything. "We ate on the way."

"What did you do that for?" Sheen accused when the girl was out of earshot. "I don't remember eating on the way."

"Well, I went to camp here once, and that food's barely edible. The camps have a bad reputation in the area for it. In fact, when I was here, I lost fifteen pounds, and while I wouldn't mind that today, it was a lot for a nine-year-old. "

"How come I never knew that?"

"You never asked," Libby said simply. "I think this cabin's empty, since we've been talking and no one has come to greet us. Let's check it out."

Cautiously the two entered the cabin. There was no sign of life anywhere. Sheen frowned when he saw this. "God, we came all this way for nothing? What a drag."

"Stop complaining," Libby snapped. "I don't see anything of Jimmy's here… maybe she moved in with him. Look for missing stuff: clothes, toiletries—"

"You mean like tampons and stuff?" Sheen exclaimed. "I_ love_ playing with those things! They're great for nosebleeds, you know. Not that I ever used one, but it was in Ultra Lord Episode 704: Attack of the Touchy Transvestites."

"I did _not_ need to know that."

They looked around in silence for about ten minutes, when they suddenly heard footsteps.

"Oh, God, it's Cindy!" Libby whispered. "We can't let her find us rifling through her stuff, or she'll kill us! Quick, find somewhere to hide!"

As Sheen ran under the bed, Libby sought refuge in the shower stall, which gratefully had a wooden full-length door that shielded her completely. She heard Cindy muttering to herself about later and how it was going to be awesome and unforgettable. Libby shuddered, a mental picture forming in her head, and almost slipped and fell in the stall.

"God, where did I put my comb?" Cindy asked as she walked around the bathroom. She walked toward the shower for a second , and Libby was sure she was dead, but then she walked away when Jimmy was heardyelling for her to come out and stop taking so long. "Coming!" She called back, and walked briskly out the front door.

Once their footsteps could no longer be heard inside the cabin, Sheen and Libby deemed it safe to venture out of their hiding spots. Sheen sighed dramatically after struggling to get out from under the bed. "That was a close one!"

"You're telling me!" Libby cried. "Cindy was looking for her comb and almost blew our cover. If she opened the door and saw me hiding, I would have died!"

"Well, we shouldn't just stand here now. I want to see what they're up to!"

"I agree. Let's follow them, or at least search for them in the woods."

They searched the woods for some time before getting lost and just searching for a way out. When they did emerge from the foliage, it was well after dark.

"Well, now what?" Sheen asked pointedly. "Do you know where we are? And do you know where there is food?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Come with me."

* * *

"So that's where we are, in your cabin, having snuck into the mess hall last night and eating something that hasn't made us sick yet before retreating back here to stake the place out. But you left, and we entered, planning to stay up for you, but you didn't come back, so we just slept here," Libby finally finished. 

"Wow." Jimmy ran a hand through his tousled hair. "You weren't kidding when you said your story was long."

"Yeah," Cindy added, "we're going to be late for our classes if we don't leave now."

"Wait!" Sheen cried. "I missed two episodes of Ultra Lord last night and I am _not_ leaving until I get my answer."

"Who said you were leaving just yet?" Jimmy asked his friend with an evil grin.

"I hope I wasn't the only one who thought that was creepy. You know what? I don't need my answers. I'll just leave now and pretend I never asked anything in the first place." He started to get up and walk towards the door, but a comment from Libby stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Have fun watching Ultra Lord by yourself."

"Okay." Sheen turned back around, his smile bright. "Creepy smiles are okay with me, as long as it means you keep coming over to watch TV."

"Well," Jimmy said, "I guess you'll just have to make yourselves comfortable here, because I don't have the answer just yet. I'll have Goddard bring over some stuff for you, and you can camp out here, for today. We'll be back as soon as we can, and we'll all talk this over before bed. Everyone set?"

Everyone nodded their heads, and Jimmy decided it was past time for him and Cindy to leave. As they walked together, Jimmy brought up a question that had been nagging at him.

"Uh, Cindy?" he asked. Cindy looked at him. "Since Libby and Sheen are staying at least one more night, you don't mind lending them your cabin, do you?"

Cindy smiled, instantly melting all of his previous nervousness away. "Of course I don't. They're my best friends. But where will I stay? I don't want to be in the same sleeping room as those two."

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. "Well I was kind of hoping you'd agree to staying with me. I mean, if you don't want to I completely understand. We can just arrange things so Sheen stays with me and Libby stays with you."

"God, those are my choices?" Cindy teased. "Stay with Libby, or stay with Nerdtron… that's a hard choice. I think everyone, including me, will be happier if Sheen and Libby use my place, and I stay with you."

"It's settled then. At lunch you can move whatever you'll need to my pad, and we'll tell Sheen and Libby the game plan." _Now, let's get this day over with._

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**Okay, I feel as though there is some inclarity (is that a word? It sounds sophisticated) here. When I had the girl say Jimmy and Cindy were probably making out in the woods somewhere, it wasn't true. They haven't kissed yet or anything, 'cause I would have made it a little more advertised. Um, I think that's it. Oh yeah, if there are any grammatical errors I missed, I want to know about those two. **

**Review how you want to be reviewed. If you don't want bad feedback, don't give it! **


	8. What's a Few Bets Among Friends?

**Man, I'm like a teddy bear: Just stuffed with fluff. To overflowing. I wrote this on vacation, and I had it typed up and everything last night, but they wouldn't let me put it up. .:pouts:. Anyways, you have been patient and this is long overdue for a chapter. Enjoy.**

**PS- The song here is _Head on Collision_ by Hawk Nelson (who is hot times three), and not mine.**

I'd Rather be Anywhere but Here  
By me, Cassi Mo.

What's a Few Bets Among Old Friends?

"So whatever happened to Betty Quinlan?"

Jimmy and Cindy were sitting facing each other on Jimmy's bed later that night, after the four friends had gotten together after dinner to discuss "Operation Carlito," as Sheen fondly dubbed it. After knowing Carl for a number of years, no one wanted to risk his trust by asking him outright, yet in the end no one had any better ideas. Jimmy had suggested they sleep on it, and 'compare notes' in the morning.

"I'm not sure," Jimmy replied with a shrug. "I dated her a couple of times in middle school, mostly out of boredom, but halfway through eighth grade she stopped coming. The teachers said she moved away, but word in the halls was that she dropped out. I really wonder about her, whether I'll ever see her again or not. Even though most people didn't like her by the time she left, her and I were good friends."

Cindy reached out and put a hand on top of his, squeezing it gently. "I'm sure she's fine. What's the worst that could happen? She ends up on a remote planet finding herself supreme ruler of a small community?"

Jimmy smiled a little. "I guess you're right. I'm thinking about this way too much."

"I knew I could get you to see things my way." Cindy felt indescribably smug, and inwardly puzzled over it. _I don't understand. I wasn't jealous of her, was I?_ Smiling brightly, she tried to cover up her conflicting emotions. Pointing to the guitar resting in the corner of the cabin, she asked him, "Are you any good?"

_Anything to change the subject._

"I guess. I've been playing for…" he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "about a year and a half, but I don't really play for other people, except Goddard." Jimmy walked over to that corner and picked up his vintage Les Paul. As he turned it around, inspecting it, Cindy got a glimpse of his trademark symbol on the back. Leave it to Neutron to soup up even his instruments.

While he stood there looking at it, Cindy rocked back and forth impatiently. "Well, I want to hear something."

"You sure?"

"No, I just said that to make you anxious. Of course I'm sure."

Jimmy smiled and sat back down on the bed, adjusting his posture to allow the guitar to rest comfortably on his lap. After a short tuning (without a tuner, mind you!), he started to pick out the simple melody, letting it get a little more complex before he added vocals. He sung a tune that Cindy did not recognize, clearly and rather well. Intrigued, she unconsciously leaned forward to make out every word, even though his voice was adequately audible.

_He was a simple boy, he just liked to have fun _

_He never wanted to be just like his dad was _

_He was a dreamer but he had never had none _

_Who made the most of his life but never had one _

_He was a single boy he could never slow down _

_He always wanted to leave but didn't know how _

_He was a dreamer who seemed to never break ground _

_Who spent most of his life in a small town _

_Shake up my life _

_Lets go... _

_Back to the days when we were young and not restless _

_We still believed and hadn't built our defenses _

_I'll tell you one thing's for sure _

_Till we make the decision _

_We'll never take this world _

_Unless we make a head on collision _

_And daddy told her she could never have _

_Late night help with her math_

_So she sits crying by the window _

_Every time she gets another A _

_She makes it another day _

_And it's just that simple _

_Shake up my life _

_Lets go... _

_Back to the days when we were young and not restless _

_We still believed and hadn't built our defenses _

_I'll tell you one things for sure _

_Till we make the decision _

_We'll never take this world _

_Unless we make a head on collision _

_A head on collision_

_Here they come now _

_Will you come down? _

_Make 'em run now _

_On to the next town _

_Here they come now _

_Let's make 'em run now _

_No time to fake now _

_Everything breaks down _

_(He was a simple boy he just liked to have fun_

_He never wanted to be just like his dad was _

_He was a dreamer but he had never had none _

_Who made the most of his life but never had one) _

_Let's go... _

_Back to the days when we were young and not restless _

_We still believed and hadn't built our defenses _

_I'll tell you one thing's for sure _

_Till we make the decision _

_We'll never take this world _

_Unless we make a head on collision _

_Don't you know _

_There's more to this than we thought _

_'cause we were never listening _

_We heard it all before but we missed it _

_When all we needed was a head on collision _

When he finished, Cindy was glued to her seat, mouth open, staring eyes unseeing. "That was…." She struggled to find an adjective sufficient to describe his performance adequately. "…amazing," she finished lamely.

Jimmy blushed slightly, not used to this kind of attention about music. "Well, thanks. You really think so?"

"Do I? Stuff like that makes me wonder why you didn't pick the darn thing up before! I've never heard that song on the radio before, though." Cindy's proud look was soon replaced by one of confusion.

Jimmy blushed again, darker this time. "That's probably because I wrote it."

Cindy paled, suddenly realizing where his inspiration had come from. "But… how did …?"

"Not all families are perfect, you know. Neither are all walls soundproof."

"Tell me about it," Cindy groaned, reliving the horrific years in her life spent at home with her father.

"Okay," Jimmy replied simply. "So-called genius forgets to destroy DeDorkinator, father gets ahold of it, father thinks he's too cool for the family and takes off, leaving said genius with pregnant mother to fend for themselves. We haven't seen nor heard from him since then. I was twelve."

Cindy's breath caught in her throat, knowing exactly how he felt, even though her story was slightly different. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, and Jimmy smiled weakly.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

After several minutes had passed with neither of them saying anything, Cindy sat up a little straighter, a sure sign she had an idea brewing.

"I think it's time to lighten the atmosphere here."

Jimmy looked up from where he was in deep contemplation. "What?" he asked, puzzled.

"Let's go to the lake. I bet my spot on the bed that I can swim from one end of the lake to the other faster than you can."

"_The _bed?" Jimmy was incredulous. "It's _my_ bed, and if you knew any better, you wouldn't be betting it. But I'll bite. What if I win?"

Cindy tapped her nose in concentration, and pondered this for a minute. "Name your condition," she ordered in a monotone voice.

Jimmy smiled devilishly. "If I win," he said slowly, "you have to do whatever I say for the next month."

"A swim match isn't worth a month," Cindy retorted. "One day."

"You said to name my condition. One week."

"Fine."

They shook hands, and stepped out of the cabin, with Jimmy instantly lighting up to bathe her in a green glow that lit the way very effectively. They were nearing the lake when Jimmy slapped a hand to his forehead.

"What is it?" Cindy asked dubiously, raising one eyebrow.

"Bathing suits?"

"Oh well," she responded. "I'm not walking all the way back. Go in with your clothes on." _What a genius you are if you fall for that. _

"Whatever," Jimmy grumbled. Cindy smiled surreptitiously. _Sucker._ However, before she could utter a witty retort, she took a step and missed the ground, falling into a pit of something, and the more she thrashed, the faster she started to sink. Looking sideways, she noticed Jimmy was in the same predicament. The realization hit her like a train and filled her being with dread.

Quicksand.


End file.
